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Jan 07 2016 2:03 PM

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Bob Arum and Top Rank will be at New York's fabled Madison Square Garden on Saturday, February 27th for a card that will air on HBO in the United States. The main event sees undefeated (27-0) WBO World Super Lightweight Champion Terence Crawford face veteran Henry Lundy (26-5-1) in his second title defense.

For Crawford, headlining MSG, the mecca of boxing, is a strong consolation prize for not getting the chance to face Manny Pacquiao on April 9th. Crawford is one of the sport's emerging stars and the match against Pacquiao was something Crawford lobbied for heavily. A win over Pacquaio would have given Crawford a huge scalp for his resume, and Henry Lundy is far from that.

Lundy is a solid veteran who is (1-2) in his last three fights and several of his losses are to common opponents that Crawford has defeated. Crawford has established himself as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world, coming in at #10 on the latest Transnational Boxing Rankings, and Henry Lundy is an opponent Crawford will be a huge favorite against at the sport books.

But the match is not without pressure for Crawford. Crawford has fought in Las Vegas and he went to England and won a world title when he defeated Ricky Burns, but he is still mainly a mid-west fighter who has been headlining in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. The fight is roughly seven weeks away, and the early appearance in 2016 gives Crawford a chance at fighting three times this year. The headline spot in New York and Henry Lundy serving as an opponent means that Top Rank is setting the table for a Terence Crawford showcase.

Also announced for the 27th a clash of undefeated Lightweights as Puerto Rico's own Felix Verdejo (19-0) takes on Brazil's William Silva (22-0). The co-feature spot for Verdejo sees the 22 year old Puerto Rican fighter take another step into boxing's limelight.

That is the latest on Top Rank's February 27th event, coming to us live from Madison Square Garden and airing on HBO.